Changed My Mind

The news that Duanmu Chen canceled the reward order spread quickly.

When Qiu Cong, who was in Xuanbei City, learned about it, he couldn't understand, "Situ Xie didn't cancel the reward order for you, why did we cancel the reward order for his grandson first?"

Qiu Jing thought for a while and said, "There must be something happening that we don't know about."

Qiu Cong frowned, "What could it be?"

"For example..." Qiu Jing thought thoughtfully, "Situ Xie caught someone and threatened Su Liang and Gu Ling."

"What about yours? I'm not afraid, but I'm tired of worrying about it every day!" Qiu Cong frowned.

Qiu Jing shook his head slightly, "Grandpa, don't worry. I think that when the news reaches Liang Kingdom, Situ Xie will probably cancel the reward order for me, but it may be a little later. Otherwise, it will be endless. I may not die. But his precious grandson is more likely to be caught or killed."

Qiu Cong hummed, "It's best this way!"

And there were a few more heads on the trees in the yard outside the window.

There was something exciting that day. Letters and things came from the capital. But these were before Duanmu Chen canceled the reward order, so he didn't say anything about it.

Su Liang's letter only told them to be careful.

Cen Man wrote a letter to Qiu Cong. It talked about trivial things at home. What interesting weapons did Lao Mu and Gu Ling make? They caught a fat fish and Nangong Qian learned a few new tricks. vegetable.

In addition to the winter clothes and cold-repelling medicine prepared by Su Liang for them, there were also two cloaks made by Nangong Qian herself for Qiu Cong and Qiu Jing. It could be seen that the stitching was not very fine, but Qiu Cong was so happy that he put it on immediately.

Qiu Jing also tried it and thought it was okay. Nangong Qian's female celebrity needs to be improved. If she is interested in it, it doesn't matter if she doesn't like it or not.

Although the clothes Su Liang prepared were of the highest quality from the Yan family embroidery shop, the ones made by Nangong Qian made them even more happy. It's not about the cloak itself. They are very pleased with Nangong Qian's current physical and mental condition and living conditions.

Qiu Cong looked around, always feeling that something was missing.

After a while, he patted his forehead and said, "Why is it that no one has said whether Xiao Liang is carrying a son or a daughter? Shouldn't you tell us such an important thing?"

"This is a matter between Su Liang and Gu Ling. They definitely didn't think they should tell me. But if they didn't tell grandpa, I think they wanted to give grandpa a surprise." Qiu Jing analyzed.

Qiu Cong twitched the corners of his lips, "If you want a surprise, I have to be able to go home years ago. It's difficult in this situation."

Qiu Jing said calmly, "It's all my fault."

Qiu Cong sighed, "If you want to fight, just fight quickly. Once the fight is over, everything will be fine."

Qiu Jing is here to atone for his sins, and he must have "merit" to be considered. Qiu Cong had to wait until the Situ clan of Liang Kingdom was wiped out before he could relax his protection of Qiu Jing.

Qiu Jing shook his head, "Liang Kingdom will not start a war at this time of year." Fighting in winter has no advantage for the bitterly cold Liang Kingdom, because the climate has a much smaller impact on Qian Kingdom. First of all, the lack of food and grass will prevent the Liang Kingdom's army from going very far unless the Yan Kingdom and the Liang Kingdom form a strong and reliable alliance.

But in view of past experience, if the royal family of Yan Kingdom said to the royal family of Liang Kingdom: Fight, fight now, there will be enough food and grass. The royal family of Liang Kingdom will definitely feel that Yan Kingdom is tricking them again.

The Qian Kingdom is located in the Central Plains. If the Yan Kingdom really wants to transport grain and grass to the Liang Kingdom, the battle cannot be small and the Qian Kingdom cannot avoid its sight. There's no point in pretending to be a caravan, because the food and fodder needed for the war is completely different from the size of a normal caravan.

"The fastest we have to wait until next spring?" Qiu Cong frowned.

Qiu Jing nodded, "I think so."

Qiu Cong sighed, "Then when can I see my disciple?"

"It will be earlier than I give my grandpa a great-grandson." Qiu Jing said.

Qiu Cong kicked him away angrily.

…

Although the reward for Situ Jing has been cancelled, but not for Qiu Jing, those who came here for the reward have long known that targeting Qiu Jing will lead to no return, and most of them chose to go to Yao City to look for opportunities to kill Situ. Jing.

Being retaliated by the royal family of the Liang Kingdom is not something that these masters who "would rather die for money" consider. If the worst happens, if they go to the Qian Kingdom to receive the reward, they will be protected by the royal family of the Qian Kingdom, and they may even be appreciated and promoted to a noble rank. Maybe.

In order to protect Situ Jing, Situ Xie hid him directly and did not let him show up for many days. He was neither in the palace nor in the original palace of Prince Yue.

Useful, but somewhat embarrassing. Because Qiu Jing cannot and will not hide. He is the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army of the Qian Kingdom and must take charge of the overall situation in Xuanbei City. And his reward order has been running out for a long time, but no one has succeeded in doing anything to him, and there is not even news that he was injured.

It makes people understand why Situ Xie valued Qiu Jing so much. In terms of strength, he is not comparable to those princes. In terms of mentality, the fact that he is now entrusted with an important task by the Emperor of Qian Kingdom explains everything.

But this is even more ironic. He was supposed to be the best prince of the royal family of Liang Kingdom, but he was devoted to Qian Kingdom and regarded Liang Kingdom as his enemy. What went wrong is worthy of deep thought by the officials of Liang Kingdom.

Finally, Situ Xie received the news that day. Duanmu Chen canceled the reward for Situ Jing within the time he expected.

Situ Jing was finally able to come out of the dark treasure house in the Liang Kingdom Palace. After being bored for a few days, he looked a little pale and his mood was extremely bad. When he thought of the name "Qiu Jing", he gritted his teeth with hatred. The second person I hate is Gu Ling.

"It seems that Gu Ling really cares about the lives of Liang Zhen's family." Situ Jing's eyes were cold, "If that's the case, if he doesn't send Qiu Jing's head over, don't blame us for being rude!"

Situ Xie's face was calm, "He won't kill Qiu Jing. Not for Liang Zhen, not for anyone."

Situ Jing blurted out, "If we catch Su Liang, won't Gu Ling kill Qiu Jing in exchange?"

Situ Xie nodded, "No." This is the principle of Gu Ling and Su Liang, not who is more important.

"Then why did the emperor grandfather put forward such conditions to them?" Situ Jing was puzzled.

"Just tell them that Qiu Jing must die." Situ Xie said coldly, "Three days later, I will cancel the bounty order for Qiu Jing."

Situ Jing couldn't understand it even more, and then he heard Situ Xie say, "The open matter ends here."

The fact is that Qiu Jing is not afraid of the bounty order, but Situ Jing is.

"What about Liang Zhen's family?" Situ Jing asked.

Situ Xie said to keep them for now, maybe they will be useful in the future.

When Situ Jing went to tell Liang Zhen that Gu Ling chose to compromise for him, Liang Zhen burst into tears and kept saying that he was wrong and that he was sorry for Gu Ling.

If Liang Zhen had not told Situ Xie about Gu Ling's secret, many things might not have been worse, but they would have been different from now.

And the words he once said to Gu Ling, "Your grandfather really cares about you", now seem ridiculous.

...

Three days later, Situ Xie announced in the court that since Emperor Gan had expressed his sincerity in seeking peace, Liang State also cancelled the bounty order for Qiu Jing, and Qiu Jing had no relationship with Liang State Situ from then on.

Although it was Gan State that cancelled it first, the officials of Liang State still felt a little aggrieved, because Qiu Jing was still alive, which was a humiliation to the Liang State royal family.

But everyone with a discerning eye believed that the cancellation of the bounty order did not mean that the Liang royal family would not continue to assassinate Qiu Jing.

Two days later, Situ Xie finally met the guests he had been waiting for, the confidant delegation secretly sent by the prince of Yan.

The leader was Ji Yuebai's master, named Li Hong, who had visited the old man in Su Mansion before.

Li Hong and his men moved into the original Yuewang Mansion. Situ Xie did not entertain them with a big fanfare, because the negotiations had to be conducted in secret to avoid being discovered by the spies of the Gan Kingdom and ruining the big things.

"My master only wishes peace in the world and the well-being of the people." Li Hong said solemnly, "It's time to break the current situation. There is no construction without destruction."

Situ Xie nodded, "Mr. Li is right."

"Cooperating with the Liang Emperor and destroying the Gan Kingdom is the fastest and only option to promote the unification of the world." Li Hong said.

Situ Xie was overjoyed when he heard this, "Prince Yan's idea coincides with mine!"

"In the past disputes between Yan and Liang, my master did not participate in the decision-making. If the Emperor of Liang doubts the sincerity of our Yan country's cooperation this time, there is no need to talk." Li Hong said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"No!" Situ Xie said firmly, "I believe in the sincerity and credibility of Prince Yan."

Li Hong mentioned that Ji Yuebai meant to set the date of the war in the beginning of next spring, early March, when it will no longer be cold and freezing, which is conducive to Liang's military deployment. In the remaining six months, we can plan how Yan can send grain and grass to support Liang.

Situ Xie's face was even more relaxed when he heard this, "Okay! I will also order people to prepare the best war horses as soon as possible and give them to Yan." Yan's grain and grass were not sent for nothing.

Situ Xie was very satisfied with the time set by Ji Yuebai to start the war, because he also planned so. If Yan State said that it would start a war within the year, Situ Xie would definitely suspect that it was another attempt to pit Liang State.

And then, how to transport Yan State's grain and grass to Liang State, and how to send Liang State's war horses to Yan State, are the problems that need to be solved urgently.

Even if it is not cold in the spring, Liang State's grain and grass will not last long if a real fight breaks out. Most of Liang State is a bitter and cold place, and food is always insufficient. This is also the reason why the successive rulers of Liang State must fight. Only by winning can they have a good life.

Yan State's fertile land and sufficient food are also one of the reasons why the royal family of Yan State does not want to fight. They have already occupied the best area, so there is no need to waste people's money and take the initiative to fight with others. It is best to guard their own borders first and watch the fire from the other side of the river.

Although it is feasible to form an alliance with Liang State to destroy Gan State, what about afterwards? Liang State is a jackal. After helping it grow, will it really benefit Yan State? Shaking the status quo will take risks.

Unless the ruler of Yan State wants to unify the world.

Now, Ji Yuebai has shown this desire, which is what Situ Xie wants to see.

Although Situ Xie will not fully believe Yan Guo, based on his understanding of Ji Yuebai's past behavior of keeping a low profile, he believes that Ji Yuebai is a very ambitious person.

The royal family of Liang Guo has been waiting for a truly ambitious person to take power in the royal family of Yan Guo, so that Liang Guo will have the opportunity to use Yan Guo to take an important step to break the deadlock.

Regarding how Yan Guo and Liang Guo will complete the "transaction" before the war across Gan Guo, Li Hong conveyed Ji Yuebai's meaning: listen to Situ Xie's arrangement.

After the battle at the beginning of the year, it is an open secret that Situ Xie began to plant spies in Gan Guo and Yan Guo many years ago.

And Ji Yuebai's meaning is very simple: Yan Guo has plenty of food and grass, and is willing to give it, but Situ Xie has to find a way to transport it back.

This kind of thing, Situ Xie has already planned it, it is not impossible to achieve, but he must use his key chess pieces and channels, be extremely cautious, and be able to cover up the eyes and ears of the royal family of Gan Guo.

This is an absolute secret and cannot be easily known to the Yan people, especially at the beginning of the cooperation, when trust is very limited.

Situ Xie asked Li Hong and his party to rest in the Yuewang Mansion. Other matters could be discussed another day. He still needed to think about it.

Li Hong had no objection, but said that he had to leave in five days. He also said that he had always heard of the reputation of Wolong Snow Mountain. Since he was here, he wanted to go and have fun.

Situ Xie agreed without hesitation. With the lessons learned from the past, he did not arrange for his grandson to accompany him, but arranged a team that was very familiar with the terrain of Wolong Snow Mountain.

Li Hong and his party were all martial artists with good kung fu, and there were no unexpected situations.

After returning from the mountain climbing, Li Hong made an unwelcome request to Situ Jing, who entertained him: his grandson was in poor health, and the doctor said that he needed snow lotus to recuperate. He originally wanted to try his luck to see if he could find it, but he was not so lucky.

Situ Jing got Situ Xie's instructions and tried his best to meet Li Hong's requirements. Hearing this, he said that he could give Li Hong some high-quality snow lotus.

Li Hong was very happy and thanked him repeatedly.

After Situ Jing reported to Situ Xie, Situ Xie told him to prepare more, and also took a petal from the few remaining thousand-year-old snow lotus to give to Ji Yuebai.

Li Hong accepted all the treasures given to him individually, showing that he loved money.

Situ Xie liked to deal with such people with weaknesses, and gave them many treasures according to their preferences.

But as for the trade of food and war horses, until Li Hong was in charge, Situ Xie still said that he had not thought of a comprehensive solution, and sent someone to inform Ji Yuebai after the plan was complete, but asked Yan State to prepare food to support Liang State.

Li Hong agreed, and both the host and the guest were happy.

The next morning, Li Hong set off and left Yaocheng with his people.

Situ Jing asked Situ Xie, "Can Yan Kingdom really be trusted this time?"

Situ Xie's eyes were deep, "It's worth a gamble. As long as Yan Kingdom has not formed an alliance with Gan Kingdom, even if it temporarily breaks the agreement, the end result will be the same as before, and the result will not be too bad."

Situ Jing frowned, "What if... Yan Kingdom and Gan Kingdom have formed a secret alliance? Although this possibility is not great, this year Duanmu Chen became the emperor, Ji Yuebai took power, and many things are different. But I heard that the Yan Kingdom princess fell ill when she arrived in Gan Kingdom, and she has been sick ever since. The only one who Duanmu Chen treats her differently is my little sister."

Situ Xie was silent for a moment, "Duanmu Chen's harem matters don't mean anything. Yan Kingdom has no reason to form an alliance with Gan Kingdom. Only when Liang Kingdom is restrained, Gan Kingdom will be at peace. If Liang Kingdom is gone, Yan Kingdom will be in danger of extinction."

"Grandfather Huang is right." Situ Jing agreed.

...

Gan Kingdom Capital

Before winter, Yuanming Pavilion was renovated and installed with "floor heating". It was Su Liang who suggested it and Gu Ling who did it. He only gives people surprises and never disappoints people in this matter.

Su Liang's belly is getting bigger and bigger. Gu Ling looks at it every day and occasionally reveals a little sadness.

Su Liang feels happy and asks him what he is thinking.

Gu Ling sighed slightly, "Why can only women give birth to children? It would be great if couples can choose who will give birth."

He just thinks Su Liang is very hard, but he can't empathize with her and can't share her burden.

Su Liang thinks Gu Ling has put forward a very interesting idea. In her previous world, with the development of technology, it may really be realized.

Su Liang told Gu Ling seriously, "If the situation was reversed and you gave birth to the baby, I would also feel sorry for you."

Gu Ling was stunned for a moment, "Yes. It would be great if the baby could jump out of the cracks in the stone."

Su Liang couldn't help laughing, "That's Monkey King."

After a few days, there was still no news from Lao Bai and Yuan Ying. Li Hong passed by after returning from Liang State and secretly met Su Liang and Gu Ling again.

"The master has instructed that no matter what gifts the Emperor of Liang sent, they should be given to your children." Li Hong sent all the snow lotus and other treasures brought back from Liang State to the Su Mansion, and clearly stated that they were not for Su Liang and Gu Ling, but for the unborn baby.

Gu Ling took out a box that had been prepared long ago and handed it to Li Hong, "This is a gift for Ji Yuebai's son, please pass it on."

Li Hong accepted it with a smile, and left after telling him everything he talked about with Situ Xie.

Su Liang asked Gu Ling curiously, "When did you prepare a gift for Ji Yuebai's son? What was it?"

"A wooden sword." Gu Ling said, "Ji Yuebai mentioned that his son should worship me as his master, but I refused. Now I have changed my mind and plan to accept him."

Su Liang smiled, "Aren't you afraid that he will kidnap your precious daughter?"

"That's why I have to keep an eye on him, teach him well, and train him to be a good brother for our baby." Gu Ling said.